


Increments

by spacebubble



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Coda, Episode: s02e26 The Jem'Hadar, Ficlet, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, the barest hint of reciprocal feeling, the slightest glimpse of sincere concern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-20 22:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11930214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebubble/pseuds/spacebubble
Summary: Odo drops by to check on Quark after a certain eventful camping trip in the Gamma Quadrant.





	Increments

**Author's Note:**

> _"You don't scare me. And you want to know why you don't scare me? Because I'm already more scared than I've ever been in my life."_  
>   
>  a quick little coda for an episode with a surprising amount of quodo feelings. who knew quark inviting himself to sisko's family vacation could result in such an adventure?

He’s unpacking in his quarters, about to change out of his camping outfit, when there’s a chime at the door.

“Enter,” Quark says, pausing in the middle of undoing his vest.

He keeps the closure fastened as he walks out of the bedroom, wondering who would bother paying him an unexpected visit.

The doors part and Odo strides in, hands clasped behind his back.

“Constable?” Quark asks, surprised. “Didn’t expect to see you so soon. You want to question me or something?”

“Yes.” Odo looks uncomfortably stiff, more so than usual, standing ramrod straight in the middle of Quark’s living room. “How are you feeling?”

Quark blinks. “What?”

Odo repeats his question, irritated at having to repeat himself. “How are you feeling?”

An incredulous laugh almost makes its way out of Quark’s throat. “You’re asking me how I feel.”

“Yes, Quark.” Odo narrows his eyes. He steps closer. “Did they do something to your hearing? Do you need to visit the Infirmary?”

Quark looks up at him, confused by the scrutiny. “I figured I’d drop by after I changed my clothes.”

“Were you harmed otherwise?”

“Well, yeah, but...” Quark laughs. He couldn’t believe it. Odo was actually concerned about him?

“I don’t see the humor in the situation,” Odo replies gruffly. “You encountered a hostile species and -”

“What, you want me to cry about it?”

“No, Quark, I just thought…”

Odo’s voice trails off.

There’s a strange tension hanging in the air and Quark doesn’t know what to do with it.

Odo keeps standing in his living room, hands behind his back, looking like he wants to do something else with his hands.

Quark watches him, thinking.

He thinks of somber communications between the runabouts, and the relief that washed over him when he heard Odo’s voice during their return to the station.

He thinks of how relieved Odo had sounded to hear him as well, even if it wasn’t obvious to anyone besides himself.

A fractionally lightened tone. A minute shift in calm.

“Hey, Odo.”

“Yes?”

“You didn’t have to join the rescue mission, did you?”

Odo’s expression doesn’t change. “They needed people with combat experience.”

“They had enough people.”

“Even so.” Odo looks at him with a level gaze. “They needed all the help they could get.”

Quark considers the Changeling standing in the middle of his living room. He thinks about how Odo didn’t have to stop by and check on his well-being, but he did.

“Odo?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Odo replies automatically, then stops to think about it. “For what?”

Quark shrugs. “Don’t know. Just… thanks.”

The Changeling grunts in acknowledgement. “Don’t mention it.”

They look at each other, and Quark remembers the last time he hugged Odo, and how the Changeling had merely looked at him with disdain.

But that was ages ago.

Somehow, Quark doesn’t think that version of Odo would have risked so much danger just to see him home safely.

He liked that Odo back then, but he likes this Odo even more.

Quark steps forward and so does Odo, until they’re face to face.

He doesn’t even think about it. He leans in and shuts his eyes and throws his arms around Odo, burying his face in the Changeling’s uniform with a quiet sigh.

Quark hadn't been kidding when he told Sisko how scared he felt.

Some residual fear still lingers. He doesn't look forward to his dreams. But the more he hugs Odo, the more the fear seems to ebb away.

Odo gingerly returns the embrace, wrapping his arms around Quark for the briefest of squeezes before dropping his hands back to his sides.

It’s not enough, but it’s more than Quark expected.

They pull away from each other.

“Well.” Quark sniffs. He puts on a smile. “Guess I’d better go finish changing my clothes.”

Odo nods. He doesn’t return the smile, but there’s a marginally more pleasant note to his grunt of acknowledgement before he departs.

Quark watches him leave.

As soon as the doors shut, he turns around and walks back into the bedroom.

His chest aches from where the Jem'Hadar grabbed him. It hurts when he twists out of his clothes, and he's not surprised to see more than a few bruises bloom on his skin.

And yet he can’t stop smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> _"...I figure while you and the others are trying to rescue Sisko and the boys, someone ought to be there to look out for Quark."_


End file.
